Ford lock works



(MMM') T. DONAHUE.

KEY.

No. 394,468. Patented Dec. 11, 1888.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS DONAHUE, OF BRANFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE BRAN- FORD LOCK IVORKS, OF SAME PLACE.

KEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,468, dated December 11, 1888. Application filed st 13, 1888- Serial No. 282,492. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS DONAHUE, of Branford, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Keys; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in

Figure l, a side view of the key complete; Fig. 2, a side view of the blank as prepared to receive the spindle-piece; Fig. 3, aperspecr 5 tive view of the spindle-piece detached; Fig. 4, a transverse section of the spindle-piece; Fig. 5, a transverse section of the spindlepiece through the rivet-hole, showing the blank as introduced preparatory to riveting;

Fig. 6, a longitudinal section through the bit end of the complete key. Fig. 7 represents two rivets.

This invention relates to an improvement in the construction of that class of keys for door-locks in which the shank, bow, and bit are cut in one piece from thin sheet metal and enlarged at the bit end to form a cylindrical spindle. In some cases the blank is cut sufficiently large to be upset or doubled to give the requisite material for rounding the spindle. In other cases the spindle has been shaped by applying to the bit end of the blank an additional piece of metal of the required shape to produce the result. It is to this latter class of keys that my invention particularly relates, and has for its object a simple and cheap construction, which will avoid the necessity of brazing or soldering; and it consists in the construction as hereinafter described, and particularly recited in the claim.

The blank for the key consists of the shank A, (see Fig. 2,) the how 13, the bit C, and a spindle-connection, D. These parts are integral and are cut from thin sheet metal, as

steel, in the usual manner; but in forming the spindle portion D, I make it narrower than the diameter of the required spindle and on the back form a narrow projection, a. so This projection is produced in the cutting out of the blank and the contraction of the shank is on the upper edge or back.

E, Fig. 3, represents the spindle-piece. This is made from metal of cylindrical shape and of the required size for the spindle and so as to form a shoulder, l), necessary in this class of keys. The shoulder end of the spindlepiece terminates in conical shape. l'pon the under side of the spindle E a longitudinal groove, d, is formed corresponding in thick ness to that spindle portion D of the blank and in depth to the same spindle portion D. From the groove (Z an opening, 6, is made through the spindle-piece corresponding to the projection a on the spindle-blank. The projection is of greater length than the depth of the opening through the spindle-piece.

The groove (1 in the spindle-piece permit-s it to be set on over the spindle end of the blank, the conical portion extending each side of the blank onto the shank, so as to produce the usual shape for this portion of the key, the groove extending diametrically across that conical end of the spindle-piece. The projection (1 extends through the hole 6 in the spindle-piece, as seen in Fig. 5, and the projection is riveted down upon the upper side or back of the spindle-piece, as seen in Fig. (5, and so as to firmly unite the spindle-piece with the blank and complete the key.

The spindle-piece closely fits the blank and the riveting of the piece to the blank,,as described, firmly unites the two, and the joint between the blank and spindle-piece is so close that brazing or soldering is unnecessary. After the spindle-piece has thus been united to the key, the key is finished in the usual manner of finishing keys of this character.

The construction is cheap and the union of the spindle-piece with the blank is so strong 0 as to make the key substantially as firm and durable as if the spindle-piece were made an integral part of the blank or body of the key.

One projection or stud on the back of the spindle portion, as l have thus far illustrated 5 and described, is sufficient to permanently unite the spindle-piece with the blank; but more than one such projection may be employed, as seen in Fig. 7.

From the foregoing it will be understood IOO 6, through the back into the groove corresponding" to the projections on .the back of the spindle portion of the blank, the said spindle-piece set upon the spindle portion of the blank, the proj eotions a extending through the corresponding openings in the spindlepiece and riveted thereon substantially as and for the purpose described.

THOMAS DONAHUE.

W'itnesses:

JOHN J. KENNEDY, F. H. LAY, 

